The Colorado Rapids sent out an invite this week to the club’s March 5 season kickoff party and jersey unveiling, and it didn’t take long to fuel speculation that the Rapids’ new alternate kits will be bathed in yellow.

The Terrace scene at this year’s March game against the Portland Timbers. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)

For Rapids game regulars, the image was jarring — row upon row of aluminum bleachers, largely empty except for a few holdouts and hardy souls who took advantage of an online promotion.

The rabble-rousers who normally occupy the Terrace on the north end of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park instead were on the opposite side of the stadium for the July 24 Chivas USA game, with their regular arsenal of drum-beating, flag-waving and chants.

The one-game experimental move to Section 117, initiated by supporters group Centennial 38 with the blessing of the Rapids front office, was the latest attempt to build Dick’s Sporting Goods Park into a noisy fortress while also advancing the broader goal of nourishing a soccer culture in Colorado that has yet to fully flower.

The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC took a giant step toward becoming a reality Thursday night, unveiling the club’s new logo in front of a capacity crowd at the Ivywild School Gymnasium.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC logo.

The Switchbacks new crest is blue, red and silver, and the elongated hexagonal shape and a sunburst behind the soccer ball take cues from the Colorado Springs flag. While the five red stripes at the bottom represent the city’s five military bases, the club said.

The top of the logo is dotted with a red cross fluery, which the club said represents the term “believe.” And if you look closely, you can even make out a large silver S around the border of the logo.

Rapids legends on the left, last year’s playmakers and off-season acquisitions on the right (Dan Boniface, The Denver Post).

Soccer’s growing popularity in the U.S. can be measured by ticket sales, the sums being paid for Major League Soccer franchises, the number of pints downed before 10 a.m. on weekends at soccer-friendly pubs, expanding supporters groups backing clubs and country – and tifo.

Originally an Italian word for fervently supporting a local team, tifo is a choreographed display of support in the stands, usually organized by fans in the form of unfurled banners, placards and more.

In Major League Soccer, supporters in soccer-mad Seattle and Portland continually try to one-up each other in the tifo department – especially when the Cascadia rivals are playing each other.

In Commerce City, Rapids supporters group Centennial 38 has upped its tifo game over the past two-plus seasons. The effort at Saturday’s home opener was led by Oscar Mejia, a Denver native, husband and father who is working on obtaining an associate’s degree in architectural engineering.

COMMERCE CITY — I don’t get the Rocky Mountain Cup, honestly. It’s not like the cities of Denver and Salt Lake City have a generations old rivalry. This isn’t Rome-Milan. And the Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake are two of 19 teams in the MLS.

When Colorado only tied RSL Saturday night 2-2, I thought the Rapids blew a golden chance to tie for the Western Conference lead. Turns out the 16,814 soaked fans went berserk over this trophy.

He wants the cup. Everyone wants the cup (photo provided by Centennial 38)

As the deciding game of the 2013 Rocky Mountain Cup looms large this weekend, Major League Soccer and supporters of the Rapids and Real Salt Lake are close to finalizing an agreement that would put to rest a trademark dispute over the fan-created competition, according to a Rapids supporter representative involved in the negotiations.

This past off-season, MLS filed trademark claims on at least nine regional rivalry contests, including the Rocky Mountain Cup. Supporters who came up with the idea, devised the rules, bought the trophy and have taken care of it for the past eight years were stunned and angry.

[media-credit name=”Associated Press” align=”aligncenter” width=”495″][/media-credit] Real Salt Lake seized the Rocky Mountain Cup in 2007 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park and has not let go since. The Rapids won the cup in its first two years.

This weekend marks the first leg of the 2013 Rocky Mountain Cup, created eight years ago by supporters of the Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake recognizing the winner of the season series between the bitter foes.

Little did supporters of either club know another rival would emerge: Major League Soccer.

Records show the league filed trademark claims in December and January on the Rocky Mountain Cup and at least nine other rivalry contests involving MLS teams – most of which were created by fans.

Daniel was first introduced to soccer at age 6 while living in Düsseldorf, West Germany. He played youth soccer in West Germany until age 9, and then in Seattle, where he is originally from. He works as the day breaking news editor and also contributes on the Rapids beat.